Caged Birds
by Emmeebee
Summary: All that the students left behind at Hogwarts under the Carrows' reign can do is fight to survive, so they band together to form a secret revolution as they long for escape. After all, "The caged bird sings for freedom" (Maya Angelou). Rated for torture and mature themes.
1. Empty Chairs

Phantom faces at the windows.  
>Phantom shadows on the floor.<br>Empty chairs at empty tables  
>where my friends will meet no more.<p>

- _Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, _Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer (_Les Misérables)_

* * *

><p>The scenery was as breathtaking as ever as it flashed by her window. This time, however, it seemed to her more of an elusive horizon than a future adventure, almost as if beauty and freedom was travelling in the opposite direction to them. Luna knew that Hogwarts would never be the same, not without Dumbledore and certainly not with a fallen Ministry, and that every turn of the train's wheels was hurtling her and her companions towards it.<p>

"They'll be fine," Ginny said again. "They have to be… wherever they are."

Luna turned from the window and slipped her hand into her friend's. After a pause, Ginny rested her head on her shoulder, wiping the watery beginning of tears from her eyes.

"They always are," Neville reassured her. "They always make it through."

"I'd be more worried for the pride of the fools fighting against them," Seamus quipped. "They never seem to last that long. Has to be bloody demoralising."

Ginny gave them a shaky smile. "I just wish I could help Harry."

"I daresay we'll have enough to worry about at school, with Snape replacing Dumbledore," Katie said grimly. "And here I thought it could never get worse than Umbridge."

A knock at the compartment door diverted their attention and their dominant hands all moved to ready their wand in case the visitor was unwelcome. Ginny pulled away from Luna and quickly tried to hide traces of her earlier distress, adjusting her hair and fixing a determinedly composed look on her face. She strode for the door and swung it open with a fierce, "_Yes_?" that was then followed by a sheepish, "Oh, hello."

"Is there room for us?" a girl's voice asked. She lowered her voice so that the other occupants of the compartment had to lean forward and strain their ears to hear. "It felt too empty in our usual compartment without Justin."

"What was the first thing you said to me?" Ginny asked.

"Come on, Ginny, that was years ago. I was twelve. You know I don't have that good a memory."

"Fine. Er…"

Luna stood and went to the door. "Susan Bones. What was the name of the species of creature whose current living status and etymological origins we discussed at the end of last year?"

"Ah, Luna, Susan might not remember that either…" Seamus trailed off.

"The fox that can never be caught. The Teumessian fox. What was my opinion on it?"

"That there was only ever the one. Are you sure that they're Ernie and Hannah?"

"We've already tested one another."

Luna met Ginny's eyes before moving back to her seat.

"It'll be tight," Ginny warned them as she stepped back and returned to her seat, the three Hufflepuffs filing in after her and locking the door behind them. Susan and Hannah conjured a pair of beanbags and magically enchanted them to stick to the wall under the window while Ernie took the spare space on the bench-seat.

"Do you have any idea where they are?" Hannah asked.

"Just that they're doing something important. Something that Dumbledore told them to do before he died," Neville said, resting his hand on Ginny's shoulder.

The three newcomers stared at him in awe.

"Should we be talking about this here?" Ernie asked suddenly, his voice low. "I rather think we should be monitoring who can hear us even more carefully this year than in fifth. You never know who is reporting to the other side now. The walls have ears and all that."

"The compartment is enchanted so that no one outside can hear anything we say. Isn't it neat?" Luna asked. "Here, I'll show you. It might be useful this year."

Once everyone had learned the spell, they settled back into a silence that felt thick with the weight of the sense of permeating ominousness.

"They didn't tell us anything about it, but they were planning something over the summer," Ginny said, "and Harry had private meetings with Dumbledore throughout last year." She let the implications of that remain unspoken.

"And if anyone can do it, they can," Neville said staunchly. Sensing that they were about to return to the same heavy silence, he asked Luna, "What are these Termean foxes?"

"Teumessian. They're rather interesting, actually. We only have proof of the existence of one," Luna said. "It was a fox that was sent by a Greek god to deliver justice to Thebes and could never be caught. A Theban man then sent Laelaps, an equally magical dog who could never fail to catch something, after him. They were locked in a paradoxical chase that could never end, so they just had to keep running forever. So Zeus decided to turn them both to stone and make them stars."

"Do you remember Canis Major and Canis Minor from Astronomy?" Susan asked. "That's them."

"What we were debating last year was whether there were ever any more of them. Susan didn't think so, but I've always believed that they bred with non-magical foxes. Besides, Daddy found a Muggle document over the summer that perfectly described what appears to be a descendant of Laelaps. We didn't publish it in _The Quibbler _so we wouldn't have a swarm of wizards and witches trying to find it for themselves, but we did make an announcement that you may have read about the discovery."

"I didn't get a chance to read the paper over the break," Ginny said awkwardly.

"That's why the name sounded familiar," Neville said.

"Tell us about another creature," Ernie prompted. "I think we could all use the distraction."

Smiling serenely at the unusual sight of a captive audience, Luna briefly considered which creature she was going to introduce them to next. It had to be one that mattered to her but whose continued existence she had some evidence for. She finally settled on one and began, "I know I've mentioned nargles before…"

-c-b-

They hadn't mentioned Harry or Voldemort or school again. Ignoring it might not have made it go away, but it gave them a much-needed reprieve, and for the time being that was enough. As they vanished the beanbags and disembarked the train, everything felt just slightly lighter and more normal.

"Hello Hagrid," Luna said brightly as they passed the half-giant and his crowd of first years.

"Hello Luna. Wait 'ere a mo', first years." He walked to them and whispered, "They're gone, 'aven't they?"

They nodded discretely.

"No Dumbledore, now no Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hogwarts won' be Hogwarts without them." Hagrid seemed to remember where they were and wiped his eyes before speaking in a faux-cheerful voice. "At least they're together. There ain't no witch smarter than our Hermione and Harry always manages to land on 'is feet. Time to get back to the first years before they wander off. Come visit me when you can." He waved at them as he returned to the head of the huddle, gesturing for the stragglers to group together again as if they were a herd of sheep.

"We should hurry so we can find empty carriages," Hannah said. "You know, I've always wondered whether the carriages are enchanted to wait for the last student or whether they'll leave without you if you wait too long."

They weaved through the crowd of students making its collective way towards the thestral-drawn carriages. When they reached them, the sight was as macabrely beautiful as ever, the stark black of their skeletal bodies and leathery wings set against the wooden carriages and darkening sky. Luna had always been drawn to the magic of the thestrals, seeing them as a gift left to soothe the blow of seeing her mother die, and the sight had always felt truly gothic to her. Hearing some of the students around her proclaim at noticing them for the first time, not realising what they were or that admitting it broadcasted your experiences to everyone who did know, dully reminded her of the tragic side of the magic. She paused to pat one as she passed him on their way to the carriages, waiting until her friends had found an empty carriage before catching up to them.

-c-b-

The Great Hall felt gigantic. The absence of Muggle-borns was obvious everywhere anyone looked, the empty spaces scattered throughout the benches all indicating where a fellow student would have, should have, been sitting. The students had tried to give the new first years a proper welcome, cheering and applauding like always, but it all felt forced and hollow. It would've been better for those students if they had declined their acceptance letters and instead gone to a lower profile school, regardless of the lesser reputation.

Snape's speech, which was more of a warning than a welcome, echoed throughout Luna's thoughts. Everyone would have to take Dark Arts and Muggle Studies, run by the co-Deputy Headmasters themselves. Nobody was allowed to associate with any of the expelled Muggle-borns. Anybody who received information on the location of any student who was unlawfully absent should report it immediately (this was said with an extra-long look at a particular section of the Gryffindor table). The school had been the site of constant disorder over the years; there would be harsher punishments for misdoings so as to prevent the otherwise inevitable chaos. Entropy could not and would not be the order of the day. Any students not working towards that vision would receive a severe talking-to.

As the food filled the plates and everybody tucked into it, conversations were slowly and tentatively started. Still, everything was muted, almost as if they were standing in the charred, burned out carcass of a ruined town in awe of its devastating significance. Nobody wanted to risk stepping on conversational minefields when taking about their summer or having personal conversations overheard. And nobody was in the mood to be loud.

But the worst thing for Luna wasn't the sense of trying too hard not to acknowledge what was going on outside the castle's walls or in the semester ahead or the emptiness or the unwelcoming welcome speech or the hushed conversation. It was when she, as she was wont to do when feeling downtrodden, met Professor Flitwick's eyes. He was the only person who had discovered her secret and had extended to her any and every help possible. She was used to seeing in his eyes a quiet, comforting, self-assured confidence in both his own ability and in her ability to persevere. She was used to the easy smiles, reassurances and jokes that he graced his students with when they were struggling with schoolwork or personal issues. But when their eyes met, his eyes reflected back her own sense of hopelessness, and he didn't even manage a forced smile. And that terrified her.


	2. Nothing Gold

Then leaf subsides to leaf,  
>So Eden sank to grief,<br>So dawn goes down to day  
>Nothing gold can stay.<p>

- _Nothing Gold Can Stay, _Robert Frost

* * *

><p>The emptiness of the common room had chased her out, the lingering memory haunting her like the taunts and jeers of an opponent trying to egg her back into the ring. Other than her disastrous first year, Gryffindor Tower had always been like a holiday destination for her, with its strange but alluring combination of having brothers present and being away from her parents. But now it was starkly void of brothers, of Harry, of Hermione, even of Dean. So many people who had for so long been such an integral part of Gryffindor had been displaced like dice, scattering wherever they could. Ginny couldn't stand it.<p>

She trailed her left hand along the cold stone as she walked, following the wall wherever it led her, tracing her old path. It felt more like a real Hogwarts welcome than the common room had. It had always given her a bit of a thrill. She'd had a sense of safety in how well known her family was and in the jinx – and, after her disastrous first year, hex – that Bill had taught her for protection, but she had enjoyed knowing that she was pushing the limits of curfew and doing something that her unresponsive brothers would freak out over. Even the twins, who would've been proud of her adventurousness and sneakiness, would've been antsy about her being out on her own. But nobody had ever caught her. True, she'd had to shoot the jinx off at Filch and his cat once when they'd nearly caught her, but he'd never been able to identify her. She hadn't regularly walked the circuit since her third year out of the fear that it would bring back the darkness that had started it all, instead only doing it on special occasions. It was a relief to fall back into the habit. She'd always been used to people just being there and had thrived on company, but Tom's influence had infected her with an occasional overwhelming longing for aloneness that nothing, not even her relationship with Harry, could dissuade.

She missed Harry. It made her feel guilty, but occasionally she would just get overwhelmed by his absence and an unwelcome but niggling part of her would wish that he were there so that they could continue those blissful weeks that they'd had together in the lead up to her OWLs. Then she'd realise what she was wishing and hate herself and her selfishness. But any time that she wasn't overcome by her selfish wishes or with managing school, she was always, always wishing that she were with them. She had always prided herself on being decisive and quick to act, but that just made waiting at school while her friends were off doing dangerous who-knows-what hellish. She wished she could be with them, actively doing something, instead of just remaining behind like a child.

Of course, those left behind didn't feel like they were children anymore. Three weeks had passed and nothing major had yet happened, but everybody knew that pieces were being deployed and moved, and they were just waiting for that one straw to disturb the uneasy peace. They knew that the real war was being fought outside the castle walls, but everybody had the sense that they would soon be fighting their own war of smoke and mirrors. Ginny's friends had adopted the phrase '_Constant vigilance' _as their own personal mantra, not wanting to be caught unaware when the time came. Until then, it was just a waiting game.

"Oi, Weasley!" An excited but cruel voice shattered her idyllic silence.

Ginny turned in surprise, her hand darting to her wand. She loosened her grip slightly when she recognised the boy as a Hufflepuff a year above her who was dating a Ravenclaw from her year. "Rivers."

"You know, I figure you're the most likely to know where Potter's off to. You stalked him long enough."

She merely raised an eyebrow. She wanted to bite back with a scathing retort – from memory, this same boy had been chasing after Sally Smith for years and had only started dating Laura Soldiers because she'd actually have him – but Luna had started teaching her Occlumency and schooling her not to say anything that might affirm her chosen side. Everyone already knew, but there was a difference between knowing and _knowing_.

"So where is he, then?" he asked after a moment, obviously thrown by her lack of response.

"The Headmaster has already made it perfectly clear that any knowledge about Harry Potter's whereabouts should be reported directly to him. If I had such information, don't you think I'd take it to _him_?" She and the others had come up with the general gist of that statement in preparation for such a situation and she was rather proud of how she'd handled it. She was sure that any actual professor would see right through it, but at least it sounded neutral enough.

"This year's just going to get worse. You know it is. Take that Slytherin part of you that we all know you have and use it. I wouldn't have to tell Snape who I heard it from, just that I made one of Potter's friends squeal. Wouldn't get back to you that way."

"I'm not a cowardly, backstabbing snake," Ginny hissed, unable to keep her composure. "I don't know where Harry is, but if I did I'd either tell Snape or I wouldn't, I wouldn't go through some overambitious idiot hoping to get a slice of glory."

"Why are you here, anyway? Looking for some Ravenclaw to shag? Doubt any would take you after you've been sullied by such a wanted runaway. Might put them in a bad light with the future leaders, if you know what I mean. I pity you, though. Must be tough without your precious Potter here to cling to. No wonder he left, he was probably sick of your face. He's never wanted you, you know. You were just desperate and easy."

"You don't know anything about me."

"Don't I? Bet what I said hurts, doesn't it? Bet you'd leave the castle if you could see your _boyfriend _just one more time. But he's not even that anymore, is he?" Rivers paused. "You know, I've never had anything against you. Even now. I just don't get how you let Potter use you like that. You're protecting a boy who doesn't even like you just because you _fancy _him. It's more than a little pathetic. But pathetic can be cured." He stopped, watching her, the words, _'You just need to tell me where he is' _hanging unspoken between them.

_The thing you don't get, _Ginny thought as she stared him down, uncomfortable with how close to home some of his comments had struck, _is that I'm not just protecting Harry. Even if what you said is true, it doesn't matter. Because it's not about me and Harry. It's about what we stand for, what either of us would die for. So sod off._

"Just think about it. I'm going to be here to see my girlfriend again tomorrow." Rivers turned and started to walk away.

Ginny knew that she should just let him go. She could go back to her dorm and talk to Neville, Katie and Seamus. She could go and see Luna. But she was over vigilance. "I've already told you that I don't bloody know anything."

"You'll change your mind when you realise he's never coming back for you."

"And how's Sally going without Kevin? Funny that she never did go running to you."

"Sally is a blind fool who can't see what's in front of her," he hissed as he turned back around. "You'd do well not to mention her, or her indiscretion with the mudblood, again."

Before Ginny knew it, a streak of red light was coming for her. Damn he moved fast. She ducked and rolled, using her momentum to help push her back into a standing position as she simultaneously cast the Bat Bogey Hex. She waited long enough to hear his scream as his bogeys started transforming before she sprinted in the direction he had come from. Ravenclaw Tower was much closer than Gryffindor by now and she honestly didn't know how long it'd take Rivers to recover and come after her. She was fast, but he might be faster. She heard his screams fading behind her before footsteps started pounding after her, bringing the noise closer again. At least the bats were probably slowing him down. She wished she'd silenced him so he wouldn't alert anybody to her presence, but then she wouldn't be able to use his screams to keep tabs on him.

It was only as she thundered up the spiral staircase and remembered that she still had to work out how to get into the common room that she began to regret her decision. Besides, not everybody in there would welcome her – Laura Soldiers might not, for one. Still, she had no alternative now unless she wanted to face Rivers again, and she knew that any further fighting would just increase the chance of him reporting the incident and her getting punished. She was panting heavily by the time she reached the tower and stopped, bent over, in front of an ornate and beautiful bronze door. The only problem was that there was a bronze eagle knocker but no doorknob. Was this here instead of a portrait, or did she have to get through here and _then _face the portrait? Luna had told her that you needed to answer a riddle to gain entry, but she hadn't gone into detail on the layout.

When she'd recovered enough to breathe and stand up straight, she reached forward and banged the knocker on the door, not sure what else to do.

She was shocked when the eagle opened its beak and spoke to her. "What is always coming but never comes?"

She only had once chance at answering. If she got it wrong… "Somebody's chasing me and I need to get away from them."

"I'm sorry, but you can only get in if you answer my riddle. I can send for help, but I can't just let you in."

"I – dammit, I, ah, ah, what's always coming, think like Luna, what's always coming, the future is always coming, right? I mean, even when you don't want it to be. You never get there, either!"

"It's a bit pithier, but close enough that I'll waive the rules and let you have another try."

"Pithy… pithy, pithy, pithy…" She tried to ignore the sound of footsteps and think. Something suddenly connected. "Well, Mum always says that tomorrow never comes. But at the same time it's always coming."

"There you go. I'd hurry in if I were you." Suddenly the ornate door swung open. Ginny darted through it and let out a sigh of relief once it was securely closed. She considered putting some sort of reinforcement behind it but didn't want to lock out an actual Ravenclaw student. Instead, she cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself and wandered into the common room.

She'd honestly never expected to see another House's common room, so it felt surreal just being there. She swept her eyes over the room. It was circular like the Gryffindor common room, but she'd have to say that there wasn't much else in common. Whereas her common room was homey and cluttered, this tower had a sense of airiness and studiousness. No wonder Ravenclaws studied so much; it contained a scattering of tables, chairs and bookcases, all of which seemed to attract a number of blue-scarfed students. A proud but tasteful marble statue stood near the only other staircase. And everything was a shade of blue or bronze. It was the starry domed ceiling that drew her attention the most, however. It wasn't magically enchanted like the Great Hall, but still gave a sense of actually being outside. To her, the whole room felt like a homage to astronomy, even though she knew that that wasn't actually the case. The whistling of the wind outside didn't help matters, however.

Mentally shaking herself as she realised that she wasn't moving, she scanned the room for Luna before slipping upstairs and searching for the sixth year girls' dorms. She only hoped that there wasn't anybody else in there who would report the anomaly to a professor – or that they reported it to Flitwick or McGonagall if they did. She considered removing the Disillusionment Charm before entering, but when she noticed that the door was already ajar she breathed a sigh of relief and inched it open as slowly as she could until she was able to squeeze through.

Luna and another girl were both reading in their beds. Ginny almost groaned. Maybe she could Stun her. She didn't want to keep hexing students, but she _really _didn't want to kick Cassidy out of the room only to have her tell Soldiers or Rivers that she was there. If Cassidy didn't hear it and didn't notice Ginny afterwards, she might just think she'd fallen asleep reading. She probably had enough times already anyway.

"_Somnus_," Ginny whispered. Cassidy immediately covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. "_Stupefy_." The girl's head dropped onto her book. It genuinely appeared as if she had just gotten too tired to keep turning the pages.

Luna looked at her roommate before looking towards the door. "Hello?"

Ginny closed the door before removing the Disillusionment Charm. "_Muffliato. Colloportus._"

"Hello Ginny. What are you doing here?"

Ginny sat on the end of her friend's bed. "I went for a walk and ran into Oliver Rivers. He tried to get me to tell him where Harry is. Luna, I tried using that Snape line, and it didn't dissuade him but did let me not announce my side, but he kept pushing and I think I blew it, then I was _so mad _when he was walking away that I made a dig about Sally and he tried to attack me. I hexed him and ran here."

Luna sighed. "Tell me everything that you said." When Ginny had finished, the Ravenclaw bit her lip in thought. "It's worse than I thought. Rivers was always friends with Nott but I didn't think he believed in blood purity himself, just that he was easily manipulated."

"Seriously, Luna, how do you know all of this?"

"A friend told me. I would introduce you, but she can be rather finicky. It's even more important for her to hide than for us; it might take some time for her to accept the idea." Luna looked over to her unconscious roommate. "Cassidy's not very nice, but she's on the right side. She wouldn't have told. I'm not so sure about Elizabeth or Gertrude; if they're here you should take them out."

"Is Cassidy one of the ones who takes your things? Should I roll her off the bed so she thinks she fell off and hit her elbow?"

"That's sweet of you." Luna looked over at the other bed again. "Cassidy's a little rude, but she doesn't know she's doing it."

"Did you finish that Potions essay for Slughorn?"

"Oh yes. It was a delight."

"Any tips for me getting out of here?"

"Don't get caught." Luna paused before smiling as Ginny giggled. "Do you think you'd be able to get in the windows of your tower? You could use my broom to fly back instead of having to get back through the common room. Just don't be seen."

"Thanks." Ginny hugged her friend before Disillusioning herself and tentatively flying out of Luna's bedroom window. She dropped down immediately so that she would be out of the line of sight of the tower windows before beginning her swooping twilit ride back.


	3. Moral Confusion

The only certainty that summer was moral confusion.

- _The Things They Carried, _Tim O'Brien

* * *

><p>She looked up from her textbook as the portrait opened, prepared to idly notice who had arrived before returning to her work. However, she was met with the sight of a smug, almost manic Vincent Crabbe walking slightly in front of a pale, shocked Pansy Parkinson as they walked over to where Goyle and Malfoy were playing a rather one-sided game of chess. Parkinson seemed to wobble as she lowered herself into an armchair, juxtaposing with Crabbe's confidence as he sprawled out in his own, looking over the chess set with an air of superiority. Crabbe said something that she couldn't quite make out and Parkinson appeared to pale even further. The shaken girl suddenly stood and, giving the boys what looked like a gesture of reassurance, went through the stairs to the dorms. Curious, the observer made a show of yawning and stretching before telling her friends that she was going to have an early night and following Parkinson to their shared dorm.<p>

-c-b-

Luna tapped her fingers in a pattern on her leg as she watched the Gryffindor students settle in for the evening. She found it interesting to observe how students responded to the overarching threat of war. There was still a sense of perpetual muteness in the corridors and classrooms that also hung over the common rooms, but it tended to eventually dissipate like early morning fog as students finished their whispered conversations about taboo topics and started trying to distract themselves with homework and games. She idly noted how different the Gryffindor common room was from her own, how _of course _it was designed more for socialising and easy comfort. Gryffindor House was, after all, the house of glory and comfort.

She was glad that the newly restored D.A. had agreed to her suggestion of sharing the passwords to their common rooms so that anyone who was being pursued by students or teachers had the option to slip into a bathroom, disillusion or disguise themselves and slip away to the appropriate common room for safety. To her knowledge, Luna was the only one who had ever snuck into the Slytherin common room, but it reassured them that they all had the option. Luna had even convinced Professor Flitwick to secretly instate an emergency password for Ravenclaw Tower so that any student in trouble could quickly get in without having to wait for someone who knew the answer to come along. Ostensibly, it was for first-year students. Truthfully, it was both for them and for the D.A. However, Luna didn't want to risk Flitwick getting in trouble for knowing more than was appropriate. She had no doubt that he suspected more, but he could easily play that off as the result of an overactive imagination if needed.

Luna was disguised at the moment. She trusted most of these Gryffindors, but it was always safer to err on the side of paranoia, especially when she was coming by so often to talk to her friends as it was. Fake-Moody's teaching had resonated with her, even if he turned out to not be what he seemed. As it was, a few had approached her to check on her, assuming that she was someone from another House who had sought sanctuary in their very flashy abode.

Right now, she just wanted to talk to Ginny or Neville. Her father's latest letters had been troubling. He didn't know it, but the things he was noting all pointed to someone following him. She hoped that it was only to make sure that he didn't have any contact with Harry, Ron and Hermione and knew that, with his Lovegood staunchness, there was nothing that she could do about it other than worry him, but it made her anxious to think about a Death Eater or a sympathiser spying on her father and waiting for him to step out of line.

She was in the middle of nervously tugging on her charmed black hair when there was a scuffle at the door. She turned to the door to see Neville stumbling in, supporting a pale and shaking fourth-year. The students all immediately reacted to the sight, standing and rushing over to help.

"Get back!" Neville tried to call out over the din, trying to force their way through the crowd to a lounge chair. "Don't crowd him. Someone, get him chocolate and a Pepper-Up Potion." A few students raced from the room to follow his instructions.

Luna used her wand to create a shrill whistle sound. "You heard him. Give them some space." Neville shot her a grateful look as he finally lay the boy down and she grabbed a class of water, transformed it to butterbeer and made her way over to them. "I find that butterbeer helps when I'm tired."

Neville frowned slightly at her appearance before thanking her and handing the drink to the boy, who started sipping it slowly.

"The nargles are strong around here," Luna whispered, winking at Neville. He nodded.

Neville handed the boy the chocolate and potion as he got them and waited until some colour had returned to his face to address him. The boy still winced occasionally as his weight shifted. "Ed, what happened?"

"I had detention with – with Carrow. The female one. For speaking out in class this morning. Crabbe and Parkinson were there and they… she asked them to…" His voice became a whisper. "They used the Cruciatus Curse on me. It hurt. I've never… I've never felt anything worse."

The room immediately erupted into a cacophony of gasps, curses and cries of outrage.

"Shut up, you lot!" Seamus' voice suddenly carried over the noise. "I doubt this is helping him."

Lavender pushed forward through the crowd. "I'm good at pain relief spells. I need them for… well, I need them every now and again. They help with a sore back or nausea. Maybe they could help here?"

"Please," Ed murmured.

"Let me know if there's anywhere I miss," Lavender said, running a hand through his hair soothingly before starting on the series of spells.

Neville and Luna stood by as Eddie's face cleared of pain. Lavender wasn't able to remove the ache completely, but she was able to remove the worst of its edge. The crowd slowly dissipated with assurances that they would be told if there was anything they could to do help, leaving Ed with Lavender, Seamus and his friends.

"What are we going to do?" Parvati whispered to Neville. "Usually we can just work on getting by and trust that Harry will fix things, but he's not here. What do we do?"

"We survive. Harry's never let us down. We don't know what he's doing out there, but, the way I see it, it doesn't matter if he's here or there. He's where he has to be to do what he has to do and when he succeeds everything will be fixed. That's what he always does and the fact that his quest isn't here doesn't change anything."

As soon as Parvati had gone to sit with Dean, Luna, noticing the haunted look in Neville's eyes and barely hidden despondency in his voice, cast the Misdirection Charm on both she and Neville so that anybody who saw them would view them as peripheral and feel an urge to look elsewhere, and gestured for him to follow her.

They walked in silence to the Room of Requirement, then Luna paced along the familiar track of wall, thinking to herself, _I need a place that only we can enter and where we can really talk and Neville will feel comfortable_. When she entered, she found herself in a cozy living room that wrangled a started noise from Neville as he followed her through the doorway. "It's my house," Neville noted, before walking over to an armchair and collapsing into it with a sigh. "It's this living room that's in the corner of the manor closest to my bedroom and my relatives hardly ever use it, so it's somewhere I can just sit and study or play a game by myself." He casually removed both of their Disguise Charms.

"It's lovely." Scanning the room, Luna noticed an abstract painting of what appeared to be some kind of magical creature. "Is that real Cutekss?"

"I think it's Cutekss and Gran likes to make sure the manor looks like it would if my parents were still here and participating in society, so I daresay it is real."

"Daddy and I always wished that we could have met him to discuss his work. Sadly, he died a few years before Daddy graduated. He managed to paint a few rare creatures that are believed to have since become extinct and it would have been wonderful to be able to talk to him about them to see if he had any information about where you could find them or even just about what they used to be like."

Neville smiled at her, grateful for the reprieve, before saying, "They're torturing students, Luna. Dumbledore and Harry are gone and now they're torturing students and there's nothing we can do. I thought we were so clever, making safe places in the school and learning the passages on that map Harry left Ginny. But if they're torturing students… I just don't see how we can fight back. If they're willing to use the Cruciatus Curse in _detention _because a fourteen-year-old spoke out in class, what else are they willing to do?"

"It's not our job to fight back. We couldn't anyway, not from here. It's just like with Umbridge; we couldn't stop her, we could just do what we could to learn what we could. It's our job to hold the fort until the cavalry arrives."

He looked at her, his face showing weariness that a seventeen-year-old should never have reason to have. "And if it doesn't? Or if it comes too late?"

Luna leaned forward and kissed his cheek before squeezing in next to him on the armchair and leaning into him for comfort. "The cavalry is Harry, Neville. You were right with what you said to Parvati earlier. When has Harry ever let us down?"

"Never," he said with a tired smile as he wrapped his arm around her. "It's just that it's easier to know that than to feel it."

"Then we'll keep saying it until we feel it too."

-c-b-

Luna and Neville stayed in the replica of his living room until the shock wore off, leaving behind a sense of muted horror and determination. Their hands were clasped together for comfort as they stepped back over the threshold of their little sanctuary and returned to the cold stone school.

"Greengrass," Luna whispered, startled. Neville looked up and saw the blonde-haired seventh year Slytherin that Luna had spotted.

Daphne Greengrass didn't speak to them. Instead, she paced back and forth in front of the patch of wall they had just exited. When it was once again occupied by a door, she opened and stepped through it, holding it open behind her and watching them expectantly. Luna tugged Neville's hand and led him through the door and into a room filled with a circle of armchairs.

"You forgot your concealment charms," Daphne said. "I could see who you were."

They waited.

"Crabbe and Parkinson told us what happened in Richter's detention. How is he?"

"How do you expect he is?" Neville asked angrily.

"Everyone did what they could for the shock and the lingering pain. He's still exhausted and aching. He'll have a long night. Neville, Daphne's on our side. She's the one who gave me the Slytherin password."

"I am. It's just dangerous to declare your intentions when you live in a snake pit. It might take a while for you to trust me, but…"

He examined her appraisingly. "I trust Luna. If she says you're alright, then you're alright."

She nodded. "Parkinson said the Carrows are planning on making the curse a regular part of detentions. Apparently they feel that's the most useful skill they can impart on to-be graduates. They started with Crabbe and Parkinson because they were close by, but they'll probably start to move onto other purebloods and start looking for reasons to give out detentions."

Luna frowned. "Thanks for the warning. What are you thinking?"

"At the moment, Bulstrode and Lily are trying to comfort Parkinson. Apparently it's one thing to hate Muggle-borns and blood traitors and another entirely to torture them. Who knew?" Daphne raised her eyebrow sardonically before returning to her point. "We want no part in that. And by 'we' I mean most of Slytherin House. We discussed it and they sent me to make a proposal. Warn people about what's coming and to avoid detentions as much as possible. I don't care if you have to act like you loathe Potter with every fibre of your being or if it goes against your Gryffindor bravery; keep your heads down and don't rise to their taunts. Also practice your screaming. Intention is a crucial part of that curse. We'll point the wand and say the words but not mean it. Your job is to make them think that it takes us a few times but that we eventually get it. That way we all avoid their notice."

"We'll work on it from our end," Luna promised. "Can you get Blaise to work out who's on our side and who would tell the Carrows? We'll do the same. We don't want to let the wrong people in on the plan. Oh, and where do Nott and Malfoy stand on this?"

"They're with us. I wouldn't trust them if you meet either of them alone in a corridor, but even they're drawing the line at torture. Luna. Longbottom." She nodded at them both in farewell before she recast her concealment charms and slipped out of the Room.

Luna slipped her hands into Neville's again.

"She's a Slytherin. They're Slytherins. We've got most of Slytherin on our side. We might just be able to do this, mightn't we?" he asked.

"We've got the best of Hogwarts on our side. They've got wannabes who are just blindly following a psychopath. I'd say that's a fair call."


	4. Make It Or Not

We've gotta hold on to what we've got.  
>It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.<br>We've got each other, and that's a lot.  
>For love, we'll give it a shot.<p>

_- Livin' on a Prayer, _Bon Jovi

* * *

><p>The sound of an argument lured Luna's attention away from her Transfiguration essay. Slowly looking around the library until she identified the source, as if she were merely lost in the pretty landscape of her thoughts, she noticed two Hufflepuff students engaged in an escalating discussion. She frowned almost imperceptibly. Both students had used their network, which is what Daphne and Neville had started calling their string of students, before, and she knew that the Carrows were especially eager to find a reason to give them detention. Besides, the more desperate they were getting to give <em>any <em>detention, the flimsier the punishable offences were becoming. She cocked her head as she heard the sound of fast-approaching footsteps, trying to assess where they were coming from.

"I'd leave before something unpleasant finds you, if I were you," she calmly advised them, her voice undercutting theirs and stopping their conversation like a fire doused in water. "I think the main entrance is blocked by parandinks. You should go the other way."

They stared at her for a moment, apparently uncertain as to whether to heed her advice or assume she was daydreaming about some imaginary mythical creature, before apparently deciding that the advice was sound regardless of her intentions. They hurriedly packed up their gear and stealthily slipped between the tall rows of books on a path that seemed to be headed towards the lesser-used exit.

_Good, _she thought. _The chances are that that way is clear. _She sighed. _I had hoped to continue hiding amidst exaggerated eccentricity. The way this is going, that cover's going to be blown by the end of the year, if I even survive. _She continued to stare at a row of books for a few minutes for the benefit of anybody observing the scene before returning to her essay as Amycus Carrow came barrelling around the corner, his breathing heavy and laboured. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look about frantically before appearing to pull himself together.

"I heard – there was a disturbance. You – girl – Lovegood, eh? – did you see who caused the disturbance?"

She looked up at him expressionlessly, tilting her head ever so slightly. "I thought I heard some nargles flying around earlier. They can cause quite a ruckus sometimes. Perhaps it was them."

He stared at her incredulously before shaking his head. "Forgot you're barking. If you see any kids come through making any disturbances, tell them to come talk to me."

"I will," she said with a broad, innocent smile. Of course, she might add a warning onto the end of that statement, but he needn't ever know that. She watched him nod and hasten out of the library the way he had come. With a small smile of triumph, she returned to her essay.

-c-b-

"I did it," Neville said, his mind telling him how stupid his words were even as it told his mouth to say them. He would try to work out who had really dropped the dungbombs and talk to them about being more careful later. He met Alecto Carrow's eyes squarely, trying to think calming thoughts instead of focusing on his fear at the detention that he knew lay ahead. They had all managed to keep detentions to a minimum and he knew that Alecto – or _Lecky_, as they liked to derisively call her behind closed doors – would be dying to make up for lost opportunities.

"Detention. Now." She scanned over the students surrounding them. "Macmillan, Zabini, Goyle. You'll be assisting me."

Goyle and Blaise followed her out of the room without comment. Terrified, Ernie met Neville's eyes. He had been warned to prepare for both sides of detention, but he hadn't been roped into one yet. Neville scanned the room briefly before patting Ernie on the back and urging him to walk ahead of him.

"It'll be fine, mate," he whispered. "Act confident. Walk with Zabini – you don't want her to know you're not into this. Just make sure you say the words as if you hate me without actually hating me. And make sure you speak loudly – sometimes it's hard to hear if the person before one of us actually got me. I'll do the rest."

Nodding but still looking decidedly pale, Ernie hurried to catch up with the Slytherin in question and silently fell into step behind him. Neville followed them. He considered feigning contriteness, but figured that he might as well annoy her while he was at it by not appearing cowered by her threats.

-c-b-

Blaise had asked to go first. Neville suspected that it was to give Ernie time to adjust to the situation, but he never knew with the unfathomable half-Italian boy. It had gone against Neville's instincts not to react defensively as Zabini pointed his wand at him and said that accursed word, but he had managed. His act had continued through Ernie's stint as torturer. Goyle, however… well, Goyle he didn't need to act for.

Neville had never envisioned himself a hero, never thought he'd have what it took. He still didn't see himself as one. After all, he was only doing what he had to do to get them all through this. But he could finally see how Harry had managed to always rise to the task. You didn't do it because you hated your enemy. You didn't do it because you wanted the glory. You did it because you loved the people you were doing it for. It was this thought that Neville kept in his mind as a boy he'd known since he was eleven knowingly and purposefully tortured him. He pictured Harry, and Hermione, and Ron, and Luna, and Ginny, and his surprising Slytherin allies, and the student he'd defended, and every other student at the school who he would do his best to keep safe. He kept their faces in his mind as he screamed and writhed and tried not to wonder how much of this it had taken for his parents to crack and how much it would take for him to do so.

He began to regret his decision not to act contrite as she urged Goyle continue for longer than she had in previous detentions. He supposed that the other shifts had lasted longer, too, but he hadn't noticed them, not really, but there was nothing he could do _but _notice this one, because despite his mental images and his silent promises that this was helping, that this and every second like this was one more second that they had successfully survived, the pain was there and real and overwhelming and he could never last long before succumbing to its call and begging for mercy that he knew would not come.


	5. Message in a Bottle

Walked out this morning; don't believe what I saw:

A hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore

Seems I'm not alone in being alone

A hundred billion castaways looking for a home

- _Message in A Bottle, _The Police

* * *

><p>The first hint that something was wrong was when they couldn't find her on the train. But while that was unexpected, it wasn't all that alarming. Ginny was too preoccupied with thinking about what Ron had said about how Harry and Hermione were going and wondering exactly what job he had to do while he was home for Christmas to wonder that long. Neville was hurt that she hadn't come to say hello but assumed that she was discussing strategy with Daphne. The other Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs in their compartment had noticed but then been distracted by adamantly hearty talk of holidays. Overall, her absence was curious and puzzling but not at all unsettling.<p>

The second was at the feast, but most people were too busy eating to notice it. Neville only noticed it because he'd glanced over at the Ravenclaw table while 'Amy' was talking to catch his friend's eye in a grim display of comradeship only to find her absent. He and Ginny started to panic but determined that there was nothing that they could do until dinner was over and they could move more freely.

The next series of hints was when they sent messages down their network lines to see if anyone had seen her and all of the responses were negative.

The final hint came from Draco Malfoy.

-c-b-

Daphne knocked on the stone wall where she knew the door to be, keeping the motions gentle so that the noise wouldn't echo down the corridors and alert someone to her business. She stepped inside as soon as the door opened.

"You made a peephole," she noted, impressed, before turning to Neville, Ginny, Padma and Ernie.

"We figured that we needed a better way of telling who was there than giving ourselves away," Ernie said with a smile. "Do you have any news?"

"Pansy overheard Malfoy talking to Nott and managed to convince him to talk to her. She says he said, and I quote, 'Let's not talk about that, it bores me. I already had enough chitchat this summer – my father deigned to take on a houseguest. He doesn't plan on doing anything interesting with her, he has too much taste for that. It's certainly the opposite of sunny in her room, though. It's a shame she's not a snake.' Oh, and she wants me to make clear that she isn't happy that she had to listen to them talk for so long before they got to the point."

"How did she manage to convince Malfoy to talk about it?"

"He wanted to," Daphne said. "He just didn't want to say anything politically incorrect. Besides, she's good at making him talk." Noticing Ernie's frown and deciding that she'd do Pansy a favour as recompense, she added guilelessly, "There's nothing going on between them. She used to fancy him but doesn't anymore. I rather suspect that the next person she fancies will be securely on our side." She felt rewarded when he noticed his slight blush._ Pansy will find that interesting._

"The opposite of the sun is the moon. So that probably means Luna," Padma offered. "But what about this snake business?"

"Sometimes I don't know whether Malfoy's on our side or theirs," Ginny commented.

"He had to speak like that, he still had an audience," Daphne told him.

"Just be glad that you and Neville don't have to watch your words around all your friends all the time. Prior to this year, at least," Ernie said. "It's frustrating, let me tell you…"

"We need to read between the lines," Daphne said, swiftly cutting him short and receiving a grateful smile from the other occupants of the room. "I talked it over with Pansy earlier and she agrees with me about my conclusions. He's subtly confirming that Lord Malfoy has someone new at the manor but that he won't subject her to anything he deems distasteful. It is, in fact, Luna. We had a few theories about the snake reference, but given the context thought that it meant that she's not used to watching her tongue."

"But she is," Neville asserted.

"I know that, but Malfoy doesn't."

"Could you repeat it?" Ginny asked. Daphne obliged her. "The snake-Slytherin comparison is obvious. But what if he meant she was in the dungeons? Up until that point it would seem as if she's a willing but unhappy houseguest, but that might be his way of confirming that she is there against her will."

Daphne nodded slowly. "It could be."

"We know where she is. We need to get her out of there," Ginny declared.

Ernie, Padma and Daphne looked shocked. "No, no, no," Ernie kept muttering.

"We can't just leave her there!"

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Daphne asked argumentatively.

"Luna's my friend. Gryffindors don't leave friends behind."

"Yeah, well, Slytherins make sure that it's _possible _to get their friends out and make a solid plan rather than rushing in blindly. She's my friend too, Ginny, and I hate her being there as much as you do. However, Luna Lovegood is a pureblood witch who has currently been declared a houseguest of Lucius Malfoy. It is a matter of honour now for him not to let anything happen to her and while his honour may not mean the same thing to him that it does to you, it still means something. She'll be terrified and he will no doubt try to manipulate her, but if it gets out that he let any physical harm come to her then he'll be thrown out of the Wizengamot faster than you can say hippogriff. And from what I've seen of Luna, she's a difficult nut to crack."

Padma looked at her curiously. "You know something, don't you?"

Noticing Ginny's sour expression, Ernie tried to help. "Ginny, do you honestly expect us to be able to break out of Hogwarts, break into Malfoy Manor, find our way to the dungeons, evade Lord Malfoy andall of his house-elves, find Luna _and_ get her out of there without getting caught? And if we did, where would we go then? Luna couldn't return here and we'd be risking getting found out if we tried to get back in."

"I suppose. I still don't like this."

"Maybe we could at least contact her," Neville suggested. "She's bound to feel lonely. We could let her know that our thoughts are with her."

Daphne nodded. "That's a more Slytherin course of action."

Neville didn't seem to know whether to feel complimented or insulted.

"But how?" Ernie asked. "We can't get messages into Malfoy Manor unless it's through someone who's related. Our best bet would've been to sneak Luna in, but if we had that option we wouldn't need to get in in the first place."

"Would Malfoy help us?" Padma asked. "He's gone along with the detention plan and seemed helpful in the message he gave Parkinson, do you think he'd consider taking a message the other way?"

"Perhaps. As long as it's something that wouldn't draw unwanted attention, I think he'd do it. He goes home for some weekends, so we could ask him to deliver it then. I can't see any other way of getting it through unnoticed."

"What about a house-elf?" Padma asked.

"They couldn't get through the wards unless their master was already inside and ordering them to come to him," Ernie said.

"So we're going to Draco Malfoy for help," Ginny muttered. "What are we going to say? We have to make sure it isn't anything too obvious in case anyone overhears."

They stared at one another in silence, each individually trying to grapple with the different emotions and thoughts they felt and stuff them into a sentence that no one at the manor would be able to decode.

"I have an idea," Neville finally said. "I don't know how to articulate it, but there are a few things that Luna's said lately that helped keep _my _spirits up. Maybe they'll help her with hers."

-c-b-

"Malfoy," Daphne said, closing the door to the boys' dorm behind her. She noticed Blaise lying on his bed, either asleep or doing a good job at feigning it. The other seventh-year boys were downstairs being distracted by Tracey, Pansy and Lily, with Tracey discussing some form of magical theory with Nott while the other two begrudgingly listened to Crabbe and Goyle discuss how fulfilling the Cruciatus Curse was to use.

"Greengrass. What are you doing here?" He smirked. "Feeling lonely?"

She just laughed. "Does that ever work? No, this is a more serious discussion." She hurriedly cast noise reduction charms and, not wanting to get closer to any of the boys' beds than necessary, transfigured a textbook into a chair and positioned herself in it so she was facing Malfoy. "No, this is about Luna Lovegood."

"Pansy told you."

"She may have let something slip while we were talking, yes." She waited for him to adjust to the knowledge that it didn't take Pansy as long to tell her his secrets as he would have expected. "Luna and I have an alliance of sorts."

"_You _have an alliance with _my _cousin?"

"Of sorts, yes."

"How did you do that? I tried second year but she was too…_distant_."

"Luna is rather breezy," Daphne agreed conversationally, "which is why she never really helps me with anything. However, she's a sweet enough girl and she is a link, however minor, to Ravenclaw. You know as well as I do how hard it is to get any decent connections there; every little one counts. Besides, Luna's loopy enough not to even be aware when she's being played. She's the perfect ally, especially since she got close to Potter two years ago."

Malfoy looked thoughtful. "I suppose it might've been worthwhile to try a little longer to befriend her, but she was _so annoying_."

"Yes, well, unfortunately she _does _grow on you, and I find myself caring how she is."

"She's unhurt. Like I told Pansy, she's a houseguest. She may not be being treated all that well, but Father's not going to hurt her."

"What about any other houseguests currently residing there?" Daphne was surprised to see him flinch and look at her intensely. She was aware that Lord Malfoy was friends with some unsavoury people who would be regularly calling in on him, but she hadn't thought there was anyone really important staying there. She needed to think about that more later.

"There's only one person whose decisions would supersede Father's on this matter, and I don't think he'd be very interested in hurting a sixteen-year-old pureblood girl as long as she doesn't insult him," Draco finally told her.

"Luna isn't the type to insult people," Daphne said, relieved.

"What do you want, Daphne? Surely you're not here just to rehash what I've already told Pansy."

"She might not have told me everything," Daphne said. He snorted. "Fine. I know that your father won't physically harm Luna, but I'm concerned at how her situation will affect her mentally. You still have access to her, of course?"

"In a way. It's better to avoid anything even mildly suspicious when my aunt is around, but my father doesn't mind."

"Would you take a message to her from me?"

"Is it dangerous?"

"I don't think so."

"Is it for a breakout attempt?"

"No. I would never be so foolish as to attempt to get into your manor."

"It wasn't you I was thinking about."

She met his stare for a few moments before deciding that she might as well give him more reason to trust her. "I managed to convince the others not to do anything foolhardy. This is honestly just a way to let her know that people here are thinking of her and want her to pull through."

"What's the message?"

"Foxes will run until the cavalry arrive at their multi-placed fort."

He visibly recoiled. "What the hell does that mean?"

Daphne laughed. "It's a message for Luna. Do you honestly want to be in the kind of mental space where you can understand every word? I would try to explain it but it involves some of Luna's crazy theories and metaphors."

"I suppose not. Promise me that this isn't something that will get me in trouble."

"If you're not caught, I promise that you shouldn't get in trouble for it. We tried to make it Lunaspeak so that you could pretend you were just going along with her or something if anybody overheard you, instead of just outright saying that her friends are worried."

"I think I'm going to have to write this down." Obligingly, Daphne repeated the message.

"If you try to turn me into your own personal owl, I _will _deliver a howler."

"That doesn't even make sense. Thank you, Draco."


	6. North-North-West

I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a 'awk from a 'andsaw.

– Hamlet, _Hamlet_, Shakespeare

* * *

><p>Luna stared at the ceiling as she lay on the thin, rickety bed. Her emotions kept flitting between terror and boredom like a leaf caught in a breeze that just couldn't quite make up its mind. She was used to occupying herself, but she'd never been alone with nothing to interact with for such a long period of time before. There really was nothing to do until she had visitors, which was a fate she couldn't quite wish upon herself even with her boredom.<p>

She thought of the one visitor she _didn't _mind – Draco Malfoy. Luna regretted fooling him into thinking she was crazy in her first year at Hogwarts, but she really hadn't had any other choice. Still, it had hurt to see his confusion, loneliness, and, eventually, pity. It was so tempting to just tell him everything and have him _understand_, but that would render everything that she had ever worked for moot. It was still nice spending time with him here, even if he was still under the misconception that she didn't have that good of a handle on what was going on around her.

The sound of footsteps dully echoing on the cold stone floor drew her attention. She shook her head and tried to clear it of those telling thoughts, quickly checking that her Occlumency shields were all secure. She hurriedly stood and stared up at a crack in the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Luna?" His voice filled her with fear.

_Remember the message, _Luna thought furiously to herself. _Even if this is just a running game, I must keep running until Harry defeats Voldemort. I may not be with them, but I am holding the fort just as surely as they are. And whatever you do, don't let him see._

"I'm here," she said, as if there had been any doubt that she would be. Her uncle had come to visit her a few times but had never broached the topic that she knew was haunting both of their minds. She almost wished that he had. She'd rather he never did, of course, but if he had to she'd prefer him do it now so that she didn't have to keep dreading it.

"You look like your mother."

She forced herself not to stiffen as she turned to face him. "That's nice of you to say."

He hesitated, still obviously unsure how to go about talking to someone as aggressively abnormal as his niece. "I wouldn't if it weren't true."

"Yes," she said, deciding to push him a little. "It's not good to lie, is it? The truth is always immensely preferable. Unless the truth is that the boy your friend likes is obviously in love with someone else. Then it's better to lie."

"You have experience with this?"

"Why, yes, of course. Dorothy likes Rabbit but he loves Alice."

"I don't believe I recall any of your classmates by these names."

"Oh, that's because the school doesn't like to record its nargle students. It's rather close-minded, if you ask me. I tried to convince the Headmaster to let them enrol but he kept telling me he would discuss it with him later, but then the breskits took him away."

"Breskits?" he asked, his face looking torn between impatience and curiosity.

"They're like nargles, except they take people instead of possessions. They are very cheeky. However, the Headmaster is probably very happy with them. They have rather unusual ways of doing things, just like he had."

"Indeed. You did not approve of the way the Headmaster ran the school?"

"I preferred not to think about it, really. There was nothing I could do to change anything and thinking about it only attracted nargles and gave me a headache. They like irritating you so that you don't notice them making away with your watch, you see." She was well aware that this was it, the accumulation of all those years feigning madness. She had been practicing for this her whole life, ever since she had realised that it was the best way to make everybody believe that she wasn't a threat or even a potential player. Lucius Malfoy wasn't an unpractised schoolkid, however; he was one of Voldemort's most trusted political players, and he knew that he had reason to be wary of her.

"Is there a way of stopping them?" His voice seemed strained. No, she supposed that Draco was never the type to try his father's patience. Her uncle must be very frustrated with the situation. It gave her a rush of vindictive pleasure.

"Oh, many ways. None of them work by themselves, though, so it's all rather complicated. It's much easier to just let them hang around and learn to hear their buzzing so that you know to keep an eye on your valuables."

"Yet you are so like your father in temperament." He conjured two chairs and sat on one with a sigh, gesturing for her to take the other. She gingerly perched herself on its arm. "Luna. I don't know whether your father has spoken with you about the accident. I understand that it can be hard to discuss such a loss. I myself will never forget the day that I realised that your mother was truly dead. It was truly heartbreaking. I wonder whether you have talked to anybody about it. Talking can help with matters such as this."

"I hardly think about it," Luna said. "I am sorry to say this, but I don't feel much connection to her. It was terrible at the time and I wish I had known her, but I really don't remember her enough to miss her, more the possibilities. She could have sang to the nargles with me." She tore her gaze away from his, feeling his mind slipping away, leaving the manufactured memories that he had been exploring behind. _You're not the only one who remembers, you bastard. I remember the way she looked when the curse hit her. I remember the way you looked as you watch her collapse. _She stared up at the ceiling. "They're here now, you know. Buzzing. I'd watch yourself, if I were you. They always have mischief in mind. Cheeky, cheeky nargles."

"Don't worry about them. We have security in place that will ensure that they can't take anything. I'm more concerned about your thoughts on your mother, my dear niece… It is good that you don't feel sorrow over her passing, but are you sure that you have dealt with it? It can be easy to think you have when you're really putting it aside."

She fought not to respond negatively to his endearment. She wanted her wand so that she could send any combination of hexes and curses at him. She wished that she had an escape route so that she could punch him and then whisk herself away. She was glad that she didn't have either of these things, because she was so close to blowing her cover. Instead, she focused on the fact that this was it, this was the moment she had been working towards her whole life, and she _had _to keep the fact that she'd seen what he had done hidden.

"Pandora was a very special woman. She…"

Luna's eyes darted to his. The last time she had heard that voice say that word was as he raised his wand to kill his supposedly beloved sister, all because she had discovered the secret about his son's parentage and had become a wildcard. Just like the Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries had focused on her at his orders – she'd seen it in their minds, their determination, the subtly given inference that a reward might just be given if the _right people _died that night – because he did not know what her mother had taught and told her or whether she wanted to publically smear her cousin's claim to House Black and contest him for House Malfoy. "I find it hard to think about a woman I can't even picture. When I try, she looks exactly like me, except then that's confusing because I'm me and if she is a replica of me physically, is she one mentally? _Is _she me? Or is my image of her just an image of an older me? It really confuses me and leaves me susceptible to the nargles, Uncle Lucius, so I really prefer not to think about it at all." She wished that she hadn't spewed that out like that, but if she hadn't then he would have kept probing and she probably would have said something much more incriminating. This was harder than she thought. _Hold the fort until the cavalry arrives. Keep it up._

"Very well. I do understand, my dear. I only wish that it could have been otherwise. Please, do come to me if you ever care to talk about her. I would be more than happy to share some of my memories with you."

"Thank you. That is as kind as a ckarnf." He looked confused for a moment before apparently deciding to take it as a compliment. She wondered whether he would try to find out what it was, wanting to have a clearer understanding of where she stood. Well, Luna hoped that he did. _That _creature was completely made up and the idea of him – or his underlings, more likely – searching his expansive library to try to find a reference to the imaginary creature amused her. _Perhaps I should give them false leads more often, _she thought. _It might distract them from whatever Voldemort wants them to be doing._

"Yes. Indeed. Well, I shall leave you. Would you like me to leave the chairs?"

"Please. They are very comfortable."

"I am sorry that you have to be housed here, my dear. There are things occurring above that would trouble you. When they are complete, perhaps I could take you on a tour of the manor. Your mother – I grew up here, you know."

"That sounds splendid." _As splendid as watching Ron Weasley eat._

She was just congratulating herself on surviving another encounter with Lucius Malfoy when the stairs echoed with the sound of fast-approaching footsteps. "I shall see who visits us. Stay here, my dear." Before he could reach the closed door, however, it swung open and a large man burst through it.

Just the sight of the man made her want to shudder. His grey hair was matted back and what could only be described as whiskers lined the sides of his face. He looked positively animalistic. The man, who she really did not want to think of as a man, bared his pointed teeth at her in what she supposed could be charitably referred to as a feral grin.

_Fenrir Greyback, _she realised. She hadn't personally encountered him at the battle at the Astronomy Tower at the end of her fifth year, but she had seen his photo in the newspaper once and there was only one man who could look that… feral. He looked absolutely feral, as if he were bursting out of his skin in anticipation of a lyncanthropic change. She was glad it wasn't a full moon, but from what she'd heard this wasn't much better.

"Fenrir."

"Lucius. Oh, she's a pretty one, ain't she? What have you got her locked away down here for, then? She should be up there with the rest of us. You'd like that, wouldn't you, girlie?"

"_Fenrir_. This is my niece, Luna. You're not going to play with her."

She could almost _feel _his disgusting gaze trail over her, pausing at places that she didn't want to think about in relation to him. "Aw, come on. Let me have a go at her, Lucius. Just a taste. I could turn her at the moon, with a name like that she ought to be a wolf, don't she? It ain't natural for her not to be."

"You will leave her alone. She is my niece and will not be harmed. Even if she weren't, she would still be a political prisoner. That means something here, Fenrir. She will not be harmed."

She tuned out of the ensuing argument. She knew that her uncle would win, although she did suppose that she should keep alert in case the werewolf decided to come back when he wasn't there. Perhaps she could start crying like Hermione had, and beg her uncle not to let him anywhere near her again. That would do it. It might also convince him that she trusted him. Still, she was uneasy about how far he had let Fenrir get before stepping in. He was clearly trying to send her a warning; I am the only person here standing between you and this beast. I will stop him, but you will become a loyal member of my family. She supposed she could humour him for the time being. Luna's attention snapped back to the conversation at the sound of Voldemort's moniker.

"The Dark Lord won't like this, he won't!"

"If you are so sure, why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I will, then!" Fenrir stormed up the stairs, his already-loud feet raining down like thunder on the stone. Luna felt a moment of relief at his departure before she realised exactly what he was going to do.

"Luna, my dear," Lucius said, reaching out his hand and helping her to stand before sending the armchairs to the far side of the cell. "Do not be alarmed. There is a chance that you are about to meet my master. I know you are most likely nervous but he does not wish to harm you, only to talk. It is a great honour to spend time in his presence. Be polite. Answer his questions. And try not to talk about your magical creatures. They are charming, but direct answers are preferable."

"Of course, Uncle Lucius."

-c-b-

Luna's shields were tested more than ever before. She had thought that Lucius Malfoy would be the epitome of her challenge, but they had stepped it up with Voldemort. His invasion was subtle and sly, slinking around the crevasses of her mind in search of her secrets and loyalties. She hoped that the solid little ball, which was how she imagined the part of her shield that hid all of that which he would be most interested in, would go unnoticed in its little hideaway at the base of her brain. She focused on the sense of longing for freedom and open spaces and gardens and searching for magical creatures. Everywhere he looked, she tried to slip in another magical creature, giving him the image of a daydreamer who was lucid but of absolutely no concern to him. She thought she managed to convince him. No unwanted images popped up and he didn't immediately torture her, which she assumed were both good signs.

She didn't expect him to remain inside her mind while talking, which added an extra layer of difficulty to protecting herself. "Do you know why you are here, Luna Lovegood?"

"I am here because my uncle picked me up from the train station instead of my father."

"But do you know why he did that?"

"Because you do not want me living with my father and Lord Malfoy is my closest other living relative."

"No, dear Luna. It is because your father angered me greatly by publishing rather untrue claims in that magazine of his. You are here to remind him why it is not wise to offend me." She looked up at him in shock. "Do not worry; your father is unharmed. He will remain that way as long as he agrees not to publish any more libel." He continued to stare at her as he began to address the werewolf who looked like he could barely contain his excitement. "You shall not play with the prisoner, Fenrir. We do not do that here." Luna was relieved at his words, but disturbed at the underhanded glint in his eyes. She did not like to think of Voldemort having plans that involved her in any way other than being passed on the incorrect presupposition that she was more harmless than she really was. It felt like all the blood left her body at his next words. "However, Luna, Fenrir is correct. You are a pretty girl. You are both a Lovegood and a Malfoy, are you not? It is important for you to marry well. I would like it very much if you would marry one of my followers. Don't worry, my dear – I see the idea troubles you. You are, after all, not even of age yet, are you not? Do not fear. You will have a choice. I would not force an unwanted husband upon you, sweet girl. There will be many to choose from. You could choose somebody whom you know from school. Perhaps somebody you already fancy? No? Well, no matter. We can find someone you could fancy. That _is _the word that is used these days, is it not? I was thinking of someone… dignified… like Theodore Nott. I have not met the boy himself, but his father has told me many great things of him. I eagerly await the day he graduates and we are introduced. Perhaps he is too scheming for you. Maybe an honest Hufflepuff would be better. I assume you have heard of my friend Oliver Rivers? If you would rather a more brutish husband, I could offer you Vincent Crabbe or Gregory Goyle, although I do not see the appeal myself and rather think that someone of higher social standing would be more appropriate for you."

_So he plans to seduce me with the promise of renown and status and the illusion of choice and respect, _she thought bitterly, the thought tucked away in that little solid ball even before it was fully articulated, hidden away from Voldemort's continued caressing probing. "That is a generous offer. As you say… it is strange to think of marriage at my age. Father never discussed it with me and I never thought about it. It is strange to think of marrying a boy." She couldn't stomach the thought of referring to Voldemort by any title even beginning to indicate respect, so she tried to keep her voice as airy as possible so that he would assume that she was half in her own world.

She noticed the irritated flicker of Voldemort's eyes towards her uncle. It was common knowledge that Voldemort hadn't been pleased with her uncle after the incident in the Department of Mysteries. It was less common knowledge that he was also irate with Draco Malfoy after he failed to kill Dumbledore in a timely manner. However, Luna knew both. Furthermore, she had found that a by-product of being disconnected from her peers and observing rather than engaging was that she had had much time to learn to identify motives and relationships. "Is it the marriage or the boy that bewilders you?" His tone was light, but there was a dark undercurrent of warning lying just below the surface.

"It is just that my niece has not had much time to think about marriage, I am sure."

"_Are _you, Lucius?" His eyes flashed, the warning no longer disguised.

Perhaps his motives weren't as far removed from her uncle's as she had supposed. Voldemort would have been as aware that she would inherit the Malfoy estate if her uncle and cousin died as she and Lucius were. Luna was one of many Lovegoods. She was, however, one of three direct descendants of House Malfoy. She idly wondered whether he was merely creating a contingency plan or was actively plotting to do away with Lucius and Draco. She did not want her cousin dead, but couldn't find herself to care overly much for her uncle's survival. "I don't fancy girls, if that's what you're asking. It's just that the idea of having a boyfriend is, while alluring, rather strange. No boy has ever understood about nargles before and I can't imagine marrying somebody who doesn't. I don't expect to find anybody who does, so I don't suppose I will ever marry."

"You will have to tell me about these nargles the next time we meet," Voldemort said, his eyes glinting dangerously as he watched her, "and then I will find you a husband who understands about them."

Or who pretended to. "Would you really?"

"Of course, sweet girl. I care about the people under my authority and cannot imagine them not being satisfied."

"That is most kind of you."

"I must go. I have things to attend to. Fenrir, you are not to come down here again. Leave Miss Lovegood alone. Lucius, you or your wife are to talk to her about the things that she would seek in a husband. We will find you the perfect suitor, Miss Lovegood."

Luna smiled at her uncle. As soon as the door was securely closed behind the three and the sounds of their retreat were well faded, she collapsed in a heap on her bed and stuck her fist in her mouth to muffle her sobs. All she wanted was to cry herself to sleep and wake up in her own bed with the portraits she'd painted of her friends smiling down at her.

_At least they will not touch me, _she thought. _All I need to do is bide time and hold the fort until the cavalry comes. And it will come._


	7. One Day I'll Fly Away

One day I'll fly away,  
>leave all this to yesterday.<br>Why live life from dream to dream  
>and dread the day when dreaming ends?<p>

_One Day I'll Fly Away, _Nicole Kidman, _Moulin Rouge_

* * *

><p>Draco watched his cousin as she read the book that he had brought down with him. He didn't like speaking to her. He hadn't had anything to say to her since he had first seen her at Hogwarts and realised how much she had changed from the adorable little girl with curious, unguarded but seeing eyes that he had played with as a boy. It made him feel guilty, and Draco Malfoy didn't do guilt. Still, he wanted her to know that he was there for her. Strangely, it wasn't even Daphne's influence that made him visit her; neither girl had sent a message through him since that first, still unfathomable sentence. He wasn't used to wanting to be with someone and he didn't quite like the feeling of empathy that he had for his cousin, who was just as chained as him, if more obviously so.<p>

Luna was getting used to his presence. It had surprised her at first and she hadn't quite known how to react to it. He never spoke to her so she supposed that she wasn't expected to say anything either, but at the same time it was strange to just sit there beside him. The mood had eased when he started bringing down a book or game for her to use. She was intensely grateful for the way of passing time and hoped that they would both make it through the war and be able to sit together in the sun sometime, perhaps even with him knowing her secret so that she didn't have to pretend with him anymore.

She was also adapting to the conversations with Narcissa as her aunt tried to gracefully handle the unsavoury topic of discussing men with a girl who barely qualified as family. Narcissa seemed to actually empathise with her situation, even if she was rather standoffish. Luna supposed that Narcissa probably hadn't had much choice in her pairing either and understood her fear of ending up with an overbearing and cruel man.

Her uncle still visited occasionally, but his visits were steadily decreasing in frequency. She didn't want to think about what that meant for her friends.

It took time but, one day, she had company.

Then, the cavalry arrived.

-c-b-

She loved Shell Cottage. It was beautiful and quaint and overlooked a sea that seemed to stretch out endlessly in every direction. The cottage itself was infused with the constant smell and sound of the sea, reminding her of the gorgeous views even when she found herself indoors. It was utterly isolated and _perfect _and such a refreshing change from the cold, stuffy dungeons of Malfoy Manor. And Bill and Fleur were both lovely. They treated her like family and were both more than willing to discuss magizoological theories with her. Fleur had even managed to convince her Squib cousin Lucie to approach Xenophilius Lovegood under the guise of discussing a rare creature only to smuggle him out of the country through the Channel Tunnel before disappearing into Belgium with him. They couldn't have any further contact than that, but it reassured them both to know that the other was relatively safe.

However, things were becoming even more dangerous in Britain. They had received word through Aberforth Dumbledore that an increasing number of students were hiding away in the Room and going through him to get supplies. Luna was desperate to be back helping her friends and it was only the knowledge that smuggling somebody else in only put everybody at more risk that kept her there. Instead, she spent her days wandering around within the wards and waiting for Ollivander to finish making her the wand that he was working on to replace the one that her uncle had taken.

-c-b-

Daphne frowned as the small coin burned against her skin as if it were branding her. It wasn't that strange an occurrence, but the students in the castle were much more likely to use it to communicate with those hiding in the Room than the other way around. She had a faint sense of foreboding as she pulled on the necklace chain until she could see the writing on the galleon. _Cavalry here and mobilising. _She paled and felt a sudden rush of nausea. She had been preparing herself for this moment all year, but now that it was here she realised exactly how far from ready she was. For all that she had spoken against the blind recklessness of Gryffindor House, that kind of fearlessness did have its uses. She headed out of her dormitory and almost collided with Tracey in the doorway.

"What did that mean?" her friend whispered, her fingers playing the leather bracelet that encased her coin.

Daphne pulled her to the far corner of their room. "It meant that Potter is back." The girls didn't move, neither of them quite sure what to do now that the moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived. "I'm going to talk to Astoria," she said eventually. "You get Blaise. Then we'll try to meet up with them." Daphne darted around Tracey and raced down to her younger sister's dormitory, barely waiting for a voice to answer her knock before barging in. She swept over to join her sister on her bed before casting concealment charms. "Tori. Tori, something is about to happen, something big is about to happen. I don't know what yet, but it will be big. You're to _stay here_, understand? Whatever you do, don't get involved in the fighting. You should be safe here. Only leave if somebody you _absolutely trust _comes for you. Not Malfoy or Nott, not Snape, you got me? A professor – not the Carrows, obviously – or me or Blaise or Tracey or one of the other people I told you I was working with. If it's anybody else, make up an excuse, feign sick, anything, but _don't go with them._ If you have to, cast any spell you can think of. Don't worry about being honourable, just be effective. Promise me you'll stay safe."

"Fighting? What fighting? Daphne, what's happening?"

"_Promise me!"_

"I promise! But what fighting?"

"He's _here_, Astoria, Potter's _here_. And if he's here, _something _is bound to happen. I don't know what, but if he's here, it's only a matter of time before… I need to go see what I can – "

"Daphne, promise me you'll stay safe too."

"I'll do my best. I love you, Tor." She pulled her baby sister into a tight hug.

"I love you too. And… and I'm proud of you. For everything."

Pulling back and slipping her hand around the younger girl's, Daphne committed her sister's face, her eyes shining with tears, to memory. "You're the best sister I could have asked for. If… if something does happen, if I'm… rendered mute, or something… let our parents know I love them, yeah?"

Astoria nodded. As Daphne left the room and closed the door behind her, the younger girl grabbed her wand and, holding it tightly between her shaking hands, wept.

-c-b-

As soon as she got her message, Luna started running, yelling to the newlyweds that the time had come as she left the cottage and raced over the sand dunes. When she felt the tingle of crossing the wards subside, she turned in a neat little circle and let herself be whipped away by the familiar squeezing sensation of Apparation.

-c-b-

Neville felt a peculiar urge to run to Luna when she entered the Room with Dean, but he had to settle with a shared smile as they were both immediately swept up with conversation and once again trying to convince Harry that they could help him. He didn't get the chance to speak with her until she reached the Great Hall, looking as unaffected by the world around her as always. As soon as he had the chance, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Luna. It's so good to see you."

"It's always lovely to see you. I showed Harry the statue; I only hope he's able to find the diadem. People have been trying for centuries, you know, but if anyone can do it he can. You always do things in times of stress that you never thought you could in times of relaxation. The Carrows called for You-Know-Who before we got to them, but Professor McGonagall chased Snape out and everyone is gathering in the Great Hall. The professors and anyone who wants to are going to try to hold the Death Eaters off while the younger students escape and Harry finds the diadem."

He was surprised to note that she appeared to be genuinely unaffected by what was going on around her; he had gotten good at telling when she was merely feigning disinterest and had rather expected that to be the case now. While he was eager to finally purge the castle of Death Eaters and confront Voldemort, part of him was still terrified at the prospect. Yet Luna looked totally at peace with the moment.

"I'm so glad you're safe. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't make it."

"I love you too," she said with disarming simplicity.

Neville felt his face heat up. "I wasn't saying – I mean – er – I love you too, Luna." A brilliant smile spread across her face, simultaneously knowing and touched. Although he hadn't meant that at all, and then had meant it as a friend, and knew that it was something that Luna probably meant as a friend, he suddenly wanted to kiss her. He almost didn't, he was so used to viewing Luna as a lovely but somehow disconnected friend. But he knew that wasn't the case; she was lovely and self-confident and _content _and observational and clever and more aware than she seemed and he might not have meant it on a strictly platonic level and he would regret it forever if one of them died without her knowing that. He leant forward and gently, briefly, kissed her, snagging her hand as he pulled away.

Luna blushed. "That was nice."

"Yeah," he said, mirroring her smile with one of his own. "It really was."

Their attention was diverted as Ravenclaw House hurried through the wide doorway. Luna followed Neville to Gryffindor table, where they found seats beside Lavender and Seamus, as Professor McGonagall started to organise the evacuation.

-c-b-

Daphne, Blaise and Tracey accompanied the rest of their House as they marched out of the Great Hall. Daphne had her sister's hand firmly gripped in her own. She didn't trust anybody else to see Astoria safely out of the castle and had a few things to put in motion before she could return to fight. Meanwhile, her friends were with the first years, trying to keep them from succumbing to the panic that they could all sense lurking beneath the surface. She could still hear Pansy ranting about how they _should _have handed over Harry Potter and it was an affront not to do so. She wanted to argue with her classmate but couldn't find the energy to bother. Pansy had no reason to trust Harry Potter or to care about what happened to him. Daphne knew and understood Pansy's reasoning. All along her goal had been to survive and to stay away from the more unseemly parts of the war. In her utilitarian mind, the only way for any of the students to survive was to hand Harry over and it was better to sacrifice an already doomed person to save the castle than to let everybody fall with him. To get into why sometimes it was better to take a gamble in order to achieve something that mattered rather than taking the safe option was more effort than it was worth. If their side won, perhaps Daphne would have the chance to discuss it with her later.

"Oh, shut _up_," Theodore Nott finally exclaimed. "We're leaving the castle, alright? We won't have to fight our parents and we won't be in any danger. It's none of your business whether the people who are sticking around choose to give Potter up or fight with him."

Pansy glared at him before immediately starting to silently sulk. At least it was better than having her rile up the younger students.

"McGonagall's sent a message to everyone's parents. Mum or Dad will come to the Hog's Head to get you," Daphne told her sister as they approached the Room. "Don't leave unless it's with them or Bessie, okay? And let them know I love them – Bessie too."

"I want to stay too."

"You can't; you're underage."

"That's just a stupid rule!"

"Set for a reason. Tori, the people we're fighting are experienced. If they allow sixteen-year-olds to fight, what about fifteen-year-olds? Or fourteen-year-olds? They have to draw a line somewhere; it might as well be when you're old enough to legally make the decision."

"I _know_, but…"

"Astoria, I'm not going to let you stay. I'm older than you, it's my job to get you out safe. For me to be able to actually fight and not just be constantly looking over my shoulder, I need to know you're at home away from all of this."

Astoria nodded. "Don't die."

"It's not something that's high on my priority list, no." They shared a grin. "Go on, it's your turn." Daphne waited until Astoria was out of sight to find her friends, who had gotten away from the bustle as soon as the younger students were all gone. She was surprised to see Lily and Millicent with them.

"You'll see her again," Tracey reassured her.

Daphne nodded. "Let's go."

-c-b-

In the aftermath of the battle, they found one another. Neville and Luna, hands clasped together; Ginny, tears streaming down her face; Daphne, having just come from seeing her parents. They didn't have much to say. They just stood together in companionable silence as their fellow fighters cheered and celebrated. Eventually, Ginny went off to hug George and Ernie and Padma pulled Neville towards one of the tables to eat. Luna and Daphne smiled at one another before they too, famished, wandered over to the food. Luna created a distraction for Harry to slip away, then the two girls started eating. Although Luna still had to keep up her cover, they were able to blend into the jumbled assortment of house colours and affinities and, for the first time, display their friendship in the open.


End file.
